The Philippine Commission on Audit (COA) issued a major warning in its latest audit report, revealing that a large number of unauthorized online gambling apps are quietly spreading in the Philippine market, taking advantage of the convenience of mainstream App stores. These illegal apps, "easy to download, ready to play," have neither obtained permission from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) nor paid any taxes, yet they are recommended to more users by algorithms. The government is missing out on taxes and failing to manage risks, while these grey platforms are quietly making money and even lack technical barriers for minors, seriously violating relevant regulations. The Audit Commission bluntly states that if timely regulation is not enforced to "hit the brakes," the credibility of the gambling regulatory system will be gradually eroded, hence it demands PAGCOR to take strong measures in collaboration with multiple departments for a comprehensive cleanup. Relevant illegal gambling rectification cases and compliance standards can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Illegal Gambling Apps Rampant: App Stores Become Main Channels of Distribution
The spread of illegal online gambling apps has become large-scale, with App stores playing a crucial role:
Wide coverage: On mainstream platforms such as Google Play and Apple App Store, there are numerous online casinos and bingo-type apps without PAGCOR certification, some of which rank high in downloads and revenue but lack legal licenses;
Highly deceptive: These apps often disguise themselves as "entertainment" or "mini-games," blurring the real risks of gambling. Despite multiple exposures of related fraud cases, they still attract users strongly;
Barrier-free dissemination: Algorithm recommendations make it easier for illegal apps to reach potential users, allowing downloads and usage without complex operations, further amplifying the spread.
Regulatory Gaps Highlighted: Multiple Issues Lead to Social and Fiscal Risks
The long-term survival of illegal gambling apps stems from multiple breaks in the regulatory chain, leading to a series of risks:
Lack of regulatory coordination: The lack of effective linkage between departments leads to illegal apps being "easy to list, hard to remove," creating a regulatory vacuum;
Lack of protection for minors: Apps have no technical age barriers, allowing anyone with a mobile phone easy access to gambling pages, severely violating regulations against underage gambling;
Fiscal and social losses: Illegal platforms evade all taxes, leading to government revenue losses, while fostering fraud, money laundering, and other derivative crimes, exacerbating social risks.
Rectification Plan: Multi-Department Collaboration + Cutting Off Financial Chains
To thoroughly clean up illegal gambling apps, the Audit Commission proposes a systematic rectification plan, which PAGCOR has clearly responded to:
Establishing a cross-departmental collaboration mechanism: PAGCOR needs to join forces with the Central Bank of the Philippines, the National Telecommunications Commission, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and cybersecurity professionals to form a long-term governance synergy;
Blocking and controlling from both ends: On one hand, blocking illegal gambling domain names to cut off dissemination channels; on the other hand, directly blocking financial flows to unlicensed operators through payment restrictions;
Financial level source control: PAGCOR is formulating a regulatory and certification framework for online gambling payment channels, making it difficult for illegal platforms to settle funds, achieving a thorough solution.
This campaign against illegal gambling in App stores, whether it can truly outrun the grey profit chain, will directly determine the future direction of the Philippine online gambling ecosystem.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original deep gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
